Analysis of the Spectral Intensities and Ratios of Electrons and Positrons in Cosmic Rays

Abstract

The observations of the total electronic component and the positron fraction in cosmic rays by the FERMI, HESS, ATIC, and PAMELA instruments are studied with analytical propagation models, both for a set of discrete sources and for a spatially smooth source distribution. The positron fraction over the entire energy range of ~1-100 GeV is shown to fit with the nested leaky box model. We derive the spectrum of electrons in cosmic rays arising from direct acceleration by the sources and discuss the narrow spectral feature in the spectrum.